A day at the New Bedford Whaling national historic site. Fantastic museum with movies, models of whaling boats, skeletons of many whales and plenty of other whaling paraphanalia to look at. The site includes lots of buildings and a boat at the wharf. Not what we are used to as a national park.

Left New Bedford to head towards Wallingford to meet Paul Bogush and his classes.  Not a very long distance but we had a couple of stops to make in between.  We tried to stay off the main highway and take some of the minor roads instead.

We went to the Bellevue Road area of Newport to check out the summer “cottages” of the New York families such as the Vanderbilts, whose home, called “The Breakers”, had 33 bathrooms let alone other normal rooms in a house. Many of these houses are now open to the public but at $25 per adult Miss W felt it was too much.
Across the bridge at Jamestown and down the coastline to Narragansett with its beautiful beaches and park areas. Saw a sign to an Audubon Wildlife Refuge so followed the directions but was very disappointed. Didn’t mind the small narrow gravel road but sign at entrance said no parking so on we went. Then another sign saying no cars beyond here. Problem then to find somewhere to turn around. No animals seen while on the refuge.
Past Old Lyme and headed northwest through some lovely woodland with lots of rock walls to Wallingford. Went to the school and signed in at the office. A call was put into Paul, who said I should come up to his room – his students yelling they wanted me to come up straight away as well as the next day. Organized times with Paul for the next day – three classes and lunch. Students had lots of interesting questions including about government as that is part of their social studies program in grade 8.

Next decision – should Miss W drive through New York City down to Trenton in New Jersey ? Paul said many people don’t like driving on the 95 highway so we headed down the Merritt Parkway. Wow! Avenue after avenue of beautiful trees in their fall colours. Not sure which road to take once we met the 95 near New Rochelle so followed a sign saying Central Ave. Past signs saying Bronx Zoo then we spotted a sign saying Trenton, New Jersey highway 1. We knew this was where we had to go so not sure how close to the real New York we were, we followed the signs. It took us over the George Washington Bridge. This was the first time we had seen homeless people on the ramps heading to the bridge. There are 14 lanes of traffic on two levels on the bridge and I had to keep very quiet while Miss W manoeuvred into the correct lanes and through tunnels.

Once over the river, we followed the New Jersey turnpike down the coast to Trenton area. Not a very nice sight down the turnpike – lots of polluting factories and swamp type land. But I think Miss W was just thankful we had made it out of at least part of New York City.

McDonalds, with its free wifi, is coming in very handy when Miss W is not quite sure which road to follow. We needed it again to get to our accommodation on the other side of the river at Trenton. Tomorrow we visit another school at Yardley.

Have you ever been over a very congested bridge? If you could go to New York City, what would you like to visit and why?